Dips

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Soon after Pele signed with the Cosmos in 1975, the Washington Post's Donald Huff wrote about several of the Diplomats trying to live on an NASL salary if you were not an international superstar.

It's Hard To Live On Soccer Pay

Donald Huff

The Washington Post

July 27, 1975

WASHINGTON — Brazilian
soccer superstar Pele recently signed a $7 million contract to play for the New
York Cosmos for three years. Washington Diplomats reserve goalkeeper George
Taratsides recently received a $300 raise and now makes $2,000 a season.

Like many North American
Soccer League players, Taratsides finds it impossible to live on his soccer
salary. Consequently, he has another job.

"I help my father
run a lunch wagon in Baltimore," said Taratsides, a former soccer
All-America at the University of Maryland. "But I don't worry about the
money so much, I would play for nothing."

There is little jealousy
of Pele among his NASL teammates. Pele's presence this year pushed the league
into the American sports limelight for the first time.

Nevertheless, while
Pele's bank account skyrockets, the average professional soccer player in this
country must moonlight just to get by.

Diplomats' president Jim
Karvellas says the Washington club payroll is one of the highest in the league.
But the players realize playing soccer isn't their main job. It's sort of a
bonus for them," Karvellas added.

Most Diplomat salaries
range between $2,000 and $5,000 for the season.

"It helps,"
said Leroy DeLeon of his soccer pay. DeLeon works as an engineer eight hours a
day for the Savoy Construction Co. before reporting to practice,

"But I wish it could
be full time," he continued. "If I made say $15,000, or $20,000, I
wouldn't need another job." He makes a little over $4,200 with the
Diplomats.

Unlike DeLeon, some of
the Washington players play full time in Europe and compete here when that
season ends.

"It (the NASL) just
fills the gap for us," said Mick Barry, who plays in England.

According to Barry, many
of the foreign players earn between $300-$500 a week in Europe, depending on where
the team finishes in the standings.

Karvellas said the league
is in the process of working ways to keep the players here year-round.

"Most of them would
like to stay here all year, but we have to provide some sort of income for
them," said Karvellas, "Winter and summer camps, sporting goods
stores with the Diplomats as employees are ideas we're tossing around."

Karl Minor and Brian
Pillinger, both salesmen, Bert Grell, a government employee, and Roy Willner,
Maryland school system employee, are other players who work to supplement their
soccer salaries.

Alan Ross and Mark
Lowenstein are still amateurs and are paid $50 weekly by the club.

Diplomats coach Dennis
Viollet says most players make adjustments, and are looking forward to higher
salaries in the future.

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Growing up in the DC area during the 70s, the Dips were the only game in town during the summer months. Their evolution from playing at a suburban Virginia high school to RFK Stadium was both exciting and maddening from a fan's point of view. No other team would send players to local malls trying to drum up an audience. Yet the players who made these appearances were always friendly and glad to talk to a kid who idolized professional athletes.